This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Thin, flexible composites that have a plurality of reservoirs interconnected by capillaries can be used to perform chemical reactions delayed by time, temperature, and sometimes other variables.
One specific application of these composites is in condition-indicating labels. For example, such labels can provide an indication of condition of a product to which the label is attached, based upon the time or time and temperature since the product was manufactured, or more preferably, in the case of many consumers and other products, the time or time and temperature since the container was opened. Examples of such condition-indicating labels are disclosed in Time Indicator Device, U.S. Published Application 2010/0322037, published Dec. 23, 2010; and Open Life Indicator Label for Food Produce and Such like, U.S. Published Application 2008/0210152, published Sep. 4, 2008, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
While the present methods and apparatus are particularly suited for the production of such time or time and temperature indicating labels, the methods and apparatus are not so limited, and can be employed in the production of any thin, flexible composite having reservoirs and capillaries, for example, for various testing or monitoring applications.